Updated June 2024
Table of Contents
- The challenge with plastic bottled water
- Facts on plastic bottled water
- 10 travel-friendly clean drink water solutions as alternatives to plastic water bottles
- How do you know if it’s safe to drink?
- Skeptical? Test your water!
- What is the best travel-friendly water filtration option?
- My 2024 favourite in my nomadlife
- Water Filtration Solution for sailing boats
- FAQ on travel water filter options
- What are some cheap and plastic-free water filtration solutions for travel?
- Can I use a water purifier instead of a filter for traveling abroad?
- How long does a typical water filter last while traveling?
- Are there water filtration solutions that are easy to use while hiking or backpacking?
- How can I ensure the taste of the water remains pleasant with a filter while traveling?
The challenge with plastic bottled water
How can we obtain clean drinking water when travelling, sailing, hiking and backpacking without buying plastic bottles? What are the drink water alternatives to plastic water bottles, such as a filtered water bottle or a water purifier? And what is the best travel water filter that is portable and purifies unsafe water into potable water?
Water is life. It’s a basic human need. 1 in 9 people lack access to safe water and collecting drinking water is the daily priority. At home, you may have the luxury to drink safely from the tab, in many countries and on sailing boats buying plastic bottled water has become the norm. We buy it because bottled water is cheaply available, we need it on the go, we want bubbles, because we think drinking from a sealed bottle is pure and free of contaminants, or we simply don’t know what the alternatives to plastic water bottles are. With pollution all around us, it is becoming increasingly difficult to figure out if water is safe to drink. So we buy bottles flown and shipped from as far as Fiji or the Himalaya, because we assume it’s better than the alternative, we don’t know what the alternative is, or we’re gone travelling unprepared. Water has gone from being a free natural resource to one of the most profitable commercial products of the last century. It doesn’t make sense, does it?
Consider these facts, explore the simple and cheap alternatives to plastic water bottles. Then, the best travel water filter is what works for you! Explore this blog for the different portable water filter options out there. I conclude with what waterfilter I use for hiking, sailing, and vanlife.
Facts on plastic bottled water
- We produce almost 20,000 plastic bottles every second (1). We globally buy a million plastic bottles per Minute. It is estimated that over half a trillion plastic bottles will be sold in 2020 (2). Only 9% is recycled (3). Where does the rest go?
- The amount of water going into making a bottle could be up to six or seven times what’s inside the bottle. The total energy requirements for every bottle’s production, transport and disposal are on average equal to filling a quarter of that bottle with oil, with an energy cost a thousand times larger than the energy required to procure, process, treat and deliver tap water.
- Tiny pieces of plastic have been found in over 90% of the world’s most popular bottled water brands. Levels of plastic fibers in popular bottled water brands could be twice as high as those found in tap water (4).
- The quality of tap water is more regulated than bottled water. There is no regulation yet that demands brands to spell out the source of their bottled water. One study found that only 55 percent of bottled water brands are actually spring water, while the remaining 45 percent brands sell treated tap water as bottled water.
- If plastic bottles are exposed to heat or sit around for a long time chemicals can seep out of which some are possible endocrine disruptors.
Bottled water is unhealthy for the ocean, our wallet, and ourselves.
What are budget and travel-friendly alternatives to plastic bottled water? How can you filter clean water when travelling with a portable water filter? What is the best water filter for international travel?
10 travel-friendly clean drink water solutions as alternatives to plastic water bottles
Explore the best travel water filtration that works for you and your adventure! I’ve tried and tested most of the below filters to clean drinking water in my adventure travels.
1. Fill a bottle or cup with tap water
In most places in Europe and North America, tap water is as healthy and good (and in many cases, better!) as bottled water. Use it! It’s a privilege to have access to the best water! This sounds like a very simple and obvious drinking water option, but why do we still buy bottled water? If you’re worried about the quality of the tap water or if you don’t like the taste, combine tapwater with one of the other recommended solutions listed below. If you’re in a bar or restaurant and they don’t give tap water because they sell plastic bottled water, share some ocean facts of the bottle crisis in the ocean with the bar owner and/ boycott the place.
2. Boil water
That’s what grandma did. As concluded by the World Health Organization, boiling water is sufficient to kill pathogens (bacteria, viruses, & protozoa). It doesn’t eliminate chemical contamination such as pesticide, herbicides, and other man-made pollution. DIY. After the water has reached a rolling boil (The Center for Disease Control recommends that you boil water for 1 minute), remove from heat and let it cool down naturally (without ice). The trick is thinking ahead so you have cool water. A simple and in many cases safe drinking water solution.
3. Expose water to the sun and air
Municipalities often add Chlorine to disinfect tap water. Chlorine solutions lose strength while standing or when exposed to air or sunlight (source). DIY. Let tap water sit in a jug without lid and chlorine evaporates after 24 hours and you have cleaner drinking water.
4. Filter with Fruit Peels
A widely available travel friendly water filtration solution are fruit peels! Researcher Mallampati found that apple and tomato peels are remarkably efficient at absorbing harmful pollutants including heavy metals, chemicals, various nanoparticles, dyes, and pesticides. Banana peels also have proven promising qualities to filter water (6). DIY. Instead of just throwing them away, try this travel water filter hack. Soaks the peels in a rubbing alcohol solution, dry them out, and put them in the water for two hours to let them do the filtering job. Remove the peels and the water is ready to drink. (7)
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5. Add purifying drops
Drops are a lightweight water purification solution. There are lots of chemical drops on the market with either iodine or chlorine as the purifying ingredient. Iodine is the stronger variant and kills most (but not all) pathogens. Drops are also effective to remove different types of water based contaminants. Iodine also helps to neutralize strong taste. Most of the purifying drops do not have an expiration date and are, therefore, a good choice for long-term travel. Iodine and chlorine drops are only recommended for short-term situations because the chemicals used in chlorine or iodine-based products can become harmful to the body if consumed for extended periods of time. The only natural water purifying drops and free of iodine, chlorine and any toxic substances I found are Purinize drops. A combination of sulfate mineral salts disinfects and clarifies the raw water. DIY. You add a few drops to contaminated water. The dirt and contaminants will settle at the bottom and give safe drinking water generally one hour later. You can also remove unwanted sediment with a portable filter or cloth (but you don’t have to) for the best water experience. A smart and lightweight water filtration solution.
6. Activated charcoal sticks
Another creation of mother nature: Activated charcoal sticks! Active charcoal naturally bonds with mercury, chlorine, copper, and even lead. There are many other purposes for activated charcoal too (brushing teeth, food poisoning). I now have it standard in my nomad kit. Activated charcoal is not effective in removing dissolved inorganic contaminants, such as some metals, chemicals, and viruses. How does it work? You place the activated charcoal stick in a jug or bottle of water and let it sit for a few hours. Voila, impurities are filtered. They work up to four months and you can ‘reset them’ by simply boiling them! The best part: active charcoal can add healthy things like calcium, magnesium and iron back into your drinking water. (note. Activated charcoal is different than charcoal). Many of the travel water filtration options mentioned in this blog have some form of activated charcoal.
Explore Charcoal sticks near you.
7. A Straw with filter
Similar to boiling water, filter straws eliminate bacteria and viruses, and protozoa. They can’t pass through the microscopic holes of the filter. Straw filters, like the lifestraw waterfilters, can filter up to 1000 litres of water without chemicals. It doesn’t filter all chemicals, heavy metals, and pesticides, but they are light and popular travel water filter option amongst long-distance hiking. You simply suck the water through the filter.
8. A Bottle with a filter
Using a filter bottle has saved me from adding hundreds of plastic bottles to the trash pile, in just one month! The market has plenty of different filter bottles available for purifying water. The challenge is to find filters that don’t need to be replaced often and that do not come in plastic. Also check out the jugs with filters so you can cater for more people. My go – to favourite is Maunawai. I wrote a review about it here. They now also have a hiking bottle filter edition. Maunawai Discount code: OP2020
There are hard and soft water-purifying bottles out there. The soft and squeezable ones are beneficial when you don’t only want to drink water out of the bottle. A squeeze filter allows you to push the water through the filter into a cup or bottle for travel. But perhaps want to boil a cup of tea or use if for cooking too.
Explore which options work best for you
Maunawai Squeezable Hiking Filter
9. Screw on a faucet filter
Screw-on water filters, also called ‘Faucet’ water filters, can be screwed onto bottles and taps. Most but not all of them are a little bit bulky. They can be useful when travelling to a rental house or airbnb.
10. Copper Bottle
Recommended in Ayurveda. It naturally purifies water and adds goodness to it. When I’m not sailing or hiking but in my campervan, I drink water from a copper glass.
Explore copper water bottles near you
11. Don’t forget the reusable bottle
How to carry around your water? Stainless steel bottles are durable and plastic-free. But what about if you need to go ultralight on your next hike? The best I’ve found so far are either Tritan ™ copolyester water bottles where the plastic chemicals don’t go in the water. Tritan waterbottles are BPA free and light. Or invest in a titanium drink bottle, an ultralight water bottle option for hiking. They are not cheap but they should last a lifetime. Most titanium water bottles come with lifetime warranty.
The most lightweight plastic-free water bottle option.
How do you know if it’s safe to drink?
We don’t know if bottled water is right. We don’t know if using the methods ourselves is right. What I do know is that the water quality result reports from the drops, charcoal method and filtration are positive and the water quality results from bottled water not always are. I ditched the plastic mainly because I’ve seen bottles floating around in the middle of the Atlantic, have first hand seen its impact, and now have learned that every bottle made never ever disappears. The second reason is health. Knowing what I know now after having studied tons of research reports, I trust using self-purification methods myself more than bottled water that likely has been standing in the sun, which is linked to health issues in the long run.
Of course, we don’t want to spend a week in the bathroom either. To get extra confidence, you can travel with some test strips to test the water quality. You can also combine, methods for, example purifier drops + a filter.
Skeptical? Test your water!
What is the best travel-friendly water filtration option?
The best travel water filtration option is the one that does not leave a trace. The best alternative to plastic water bottles is the one that works for you in your situation and destination where you are going to. It depends if you travel alone, your preferences, and the resources and availability around you. With so many options, different combinations of water purification and filtration can perfectly do the job. There is no excuse for single-use bottles.
Which alternative to plastic water bottles will you try out?
Going on a sailing charter, vanlife rental trip or family camping adventure and seeking a travel water filter that caters for more than one person? Check out this article with portable water filter systems suitable for small groups.
My 2024 favourite in my nomadlife
Update 2024 What I Use:
- In my campervan, I have a Maunawai filter installed in the hose.
- As a backup and for sailing chart trips in use the Maunawai Kini (here is a review)
- For hiking I use the Maunawai hiking edition Compact and easy to use through direct drinking or squeezing water through the filter. The filter is really good. For ultralight long-distance hiking I use the Katadyn BeFree (0.6L). Its filter quality is a little bit less than the Maunawai, but it’s one of the lightest out there. Depending on the hiking destination I choose the hiking filter.
Use Maunawai Discount Code OP2020 for a discount :)
I’m a complex case since sometimes I’m on a boat, sometimes I’m on the land. Sometimes I’m in developing countries and sometimes in the developed world. Sometimes I travel alone, Sometimes with others. So, what do I use to access clean drinking water? I source clean drinking water with a combination of the above depending on my situation. The habit of always having a reusable water bottle with me is in the system. I refill from taps wherever I can. Sometimes, the sailboats I’m on have a water-maker and/or filter on the tap. If they have both, I trust it without using additional purification. If the boat only has a water maker I now also additionally purify it myself. I’ve become terribly sick by trusting a water-maker only. The tank can still contain contaminants, also when it has been 100% emptied and refilled. For additional purification, I boil it if I have the facility. If I don’t, I use a water filter. So far I’ve tried a water filter bottle. This has saved the environment from buying hundreds of plastic bottles. It’s not a circular option since the filters need renewal every two months and produce waste. The charcoal sticks are now my personal favorite water purifying technique since I do not generate any waste. I simply put the stick in my reusable bottle. It tastes great, and I feel great. I’m super curious to try out the drops and will update this post once I have.
Update: My go-to water filtration system right now is Maunawai. It not only filters the water but also adds life to it! I’ve tested it for six months now and wrote a review about it here.
As sailors and ocean lovers, we should not and we don’t have to rely on bottled water. We have the responsibility to be prepared with alternatives to plastic water bottles. Inspire your fellow crew and travelmates with your alternative to plastic water bottle water system. And let me know how you go!
Water Filtration Solution for sailing boats
Marja Kok, a circumnavigator and superyacht captain, dedicates herself to improving the water sourcing situation and purification solutions on yachts, and superyachts in particular. Learn more on WaterwithoutWaste.org
Learn more about this campaign and navigate to more #plasticFREEnomad hacks
FAQ on travel water filter options
What are some cheap and plastic-free water filtration solutions for travel?
You can consider options like the charcoal stick, Lifestraw, or a Sawyer Mini water filter for a sustainable and lightweight budget friendly water filter choice.
Can I use a water purifier instead of a filter for traveling abroad?
Yes, water purifiers like Lifestraw’s Peak series are also great options to ensure that the water you drink is safe and clean, especially when traveling to areas with questionable water quality. Water filters like Lifestraw and Maunawai are designed to filter out viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants, providing you with safe and drinkable water wherever you go.
How long does a typical water filter last while traveling?
The lifespan of water filters varies, but products like the Sawyer Mini water filter offer a long filter life and can treat up to 100,000 gallons of water.
Are there water filtration solutions that are easy to use while hiking or backpacking?
Yes, products like the Maunawai hiking filter , Sawyer Mini water filter and Katadyn BeFree are lightweight water filter systems designed to filter water quickly and efficiently, making them ideal for outdoor activities like hiking and backpacking.
How can I ensure the taste of the water remains pleasant with a filter while traveling?
Water filters like Maunawai and Lifestraw are designed to filter out contaminants while keeping the water’s taste clear and refreshing, even when sourced from municipal water supplies. I sometimes add some lemon essential oil drops to improve the taste.
As always, my opinions are my own. No organisation or brand is paying me to write this or mention them. Though the Maunawai filter I’ve got sponsored and after +2 years of use I can honestly say I love the brand and what it does. What drives me is saving the ocean. Sometimes links to ocean-friendly alternatives to plastic water bottles contain affiliate links. If you’re looking to purchase something, huge thanks if you purchase it via this website (but try to find it locally first! ). At no extra cost to you, orders and bookings through this website give me a tiny piece of the pie that help me keep investigating, exploring and creating content about on ocean action and solutions! The information about best travel water filtration presented here is not a substitute for specific training or experience. When going into the outdoors it is your responsibility to have the proper knowledge, experience, and equipment to travel safely. Here are more ways to support ocean awareness and action. Splashthanks!
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Cool post Suzanne!
I am really interested in traveling too :)
Thanks again !
Thanks a lot
I love traveling
It’s been years since I last purchased bottled water. I bought my own container and that what I use ever since.
It’s important to know how to be able to tell the taste of water apart since water just so happens to be a basic need and drinking dirty water can make one get sick. Knowing how and when to filter water should always be at the top of anyone’s survival list, since without water man can’t survive for too long. If I had the choice to look for drinking water I would at least carry a small filter with me for any emergencies.
I prefer to drink water than Mineral Water, while tap water I use it for the dishes. Because tap water contains impurities.